The present invention relates to a mounting system for adding vehicle electronic instruments to a vehicle.
With the increasing popularity of vehicle electronics such as CB radios, tape decks, and more recently electronic computers such as disclosed in U.S. Pat. application Ser. No. 821,779, filed Aug. 4, 1977, entitled VEHICLE POSITION INDICATOR, and assigned to the present assignee, mounting of such add-on equipment in the somewhat crowded dashboard area of the increasingly compact motor vehicles is difficult.
In the first instance, the compact size of newer vehicles leaves little space for mounting such add-on units. It is important that they be mounted where they can be readily accessible to the vehicle operator for convenience of operation. Also, they should be mounted in a location where they will not pose a safety hazard such as obstructing visibility through the windshield or providing edges which could cause injury to a passenger or operator entering or leaving the vehicle or in the event of an accident. Naturally, vehicle radios are available as factory installed equipment and in such installations, they fit into a housing as an integral part of the dashboard. Frequently, however, the vehicle owner desires to add accessories such as electronic instruments subsequent to the purchase of the vehicle.
Nearly all vehicles now include dashboard ventilating systems with air flow directions frequently incorporated as part of the vehicle's air conditioning system. Even in vehicles without air conditioning, however, flow through ventilation systems with such output vents near the center of the dashboard are common. It has been discovered that the removal of the existing faceplate including the flow directors exposes a relatively large aperture through the dashboard and can accommodate a mounting system such as the present invention for integrally mounting the flow directors and an additional accessory such as an electronic device to the existing dashboard opening. This solves the problem of providing a convenient and accessible mounting location for add-on electronic systems since the system is in the center of the dashboard and easily accessible by the vehicle operator and at the same time provides a factory installed appearance to the unit which is desirable for the vehicle owner.